Part One: U-18 European Championships Prospects: Point Guards
Its time for the wing players in this player-by-player recap of the 2006 European U-18 Championships. This edition hasnt been too prolific in terms of promising shooting guards; thats why well deal with both wing positions together in the same article. Still, the small forward spot features some of the most intriguing prospects seen in the tournament (even with top-prospects Gallinari and Keselj out of the competition), all led by tournament MVP Nicolas Batum.
Nicolas Batum
France, SF, 6-8, 12/14/1988; 14.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.9 apg
An extremely skilled player as well as a terrific athlete, Batum seems to play effortlessly, making impressive play look like they were just everyday things. He has barely left anything else for other players: as the champion with France, MVP of the tournament and the most promising prospect seen in Greece these days. His improvement from what we saw last summer was nothing short of remarkable, and his potential is still scary. Could we ask for anything more?
It all starts with his impressive physical and athletic set. At 6-8 and enjoying a nice wingspan, hes quite long for a wing player. His frame is excellent; he already shows good strength, in line from what is expected for a 17-year-old player if not more, but theres also room for a lot of development. Its obvious that he has improved his body from last year, but hes not done by any means. In terms of athleticism, hes an extremely gifted guy. Hes quick, but especially a remarkable leaper, being able to perform some jaw dropping dunks.
But the real intrigue hits when you match that physical and athletic profile with his splendid skill set. Hes very fundamentally sound, dominating the basics of the game. Almost unstoppable going one on one, Batum enjoy excellent ball-handling skills and a very good first step, while he easily reaches the paint with his quickness and nice footwork, including fakes or reverses. His athleticism and body control allows him to easily finish around the basket, either with layups or dunks, while sometimes using physical contact with his rivals to gain room. He also has the ability to effectively dish the ball off his drives, showing nice court vision and good decision making, as he very rarely forces his actions.
Batum didnt show the best accuracy shooting the ball in this tournament, but you can see he has the mechanics and the touch to be productive in this area. He enjoys three-point range, can easily shoot off the dribble, and shows a high release point that is quite difficult to contest. His wide offensive repertoire also includes some low post skills, nothing too fancy, but solid enough to cash in near the basket off smaller defenders.
On defense, he has all the tools to be more than effective: athleticism, lateral quickness, length, reactivity and some strength. He just should join the list of terrific defenders that France is producing lately. As a side note, he did deliver a few spectacular blocks, on the help and also in defensive transitions. He also did work in the rebounding department, staying aggressive in the offensive board.
All in all, its an extremely intriguing package of physical exuberance and abilities that should allow him to consistently dominate games. Still, it doesnt happen. Batum is not a selfish player at all, sometimes to a fault, and for some stretches you might not even feel his presence on the court. He did try to take over the game against Iceland, but it was late and the difference too big to swallow. It was like a last-try effort, as France had miserably failed anything they tried to come back in the score. In other difficult situations, he didnt show up as much as desired. Its something Batum should work on; hes a guy that should emerge in a more prominent role, not necessarily taking more shots, but taking more decisions with the ball.
Under contract with Le Mans for three seasons, we will be able to see Batum this upcoming campaign competing against the cream of international basketball in the Euroleague.
It all starts with his impressive physical and athletic set. At 6-8 and enjoying a nice wingspan, hes quite long for a wing player. His frame is excellent; he already shows good strength, in line from what is expected for a 17-year-old player if not more, but theres also room for a lot of development. Its obvious that he has improved his body from last year, but hes not done by any means. In terms of athleticism, hes an extremely gifted guy. Hes quick, but especially a remarkable leaper, being able to perform some jaw dropping dunks.
But the real intrigue hits when you match that physical and athletic profile with his splendid skill set. Hes very fundamentally sound, dominating the basics of the game. Almost unstoppable going one on one, Batum enjoy excellent ball-handling skills and a very good first step, while he easily reaches the paint with his quickness and nice footwork, including fakes or reverses. His athleticism and body control allows him to easily finish around the basket, either with layups or dunks, while sometimes using physical contact with his rivals to gain room. He also has the ability to effectively dish the ball off his drives, showing nice court vision and good decision making, as he very rarely forces his actions.
Batum didnt show the best accuracy shooting the ball in this tournament, but you can see he has the mechanics and the touch to be productive in this area. He enjoys three-point range, can easily shoot off the dribble, and shows a high release point that is quite difficult to contest. His wide offensive repertoire also includes some low post skills, nothing too fancy, but solid enough to cash in near the basket off smaller defenders.
On defense, he has all the tools to be more than effective: athleticism, lateral quickness, length, reactivity and some strength. He just should join the list of terrific defenders that France is producing lately. As a side note, he did deliver a few spectacular blocks, on the help and also in defensive transitions. He also did work in the rebounding department, staying aggressive in the offensive board.
All in all, its an extremely intriguing package of physical exuberance and abilities that should allow him to consistently dominate games. Still, it doesnt happen. Batum is not a selfish player at all, sometimes to a fault, and for some stretches you might not even feel his presence on the court. He did try to take over the game against Iceland, but it was late and the difference too big to swallow. It was like a last-try effort, as France had miserably failed anything they tried to come back in the score. In other difficult situations, he didnt show up as much as desired. Its something Batum should work on; hes a guy that should emerge in a more prominent role, not necessarily taking more shots, but taking more decisions with the ball.
Under contract with Le Mans for three seasons, we will be able to see Batum this upcoming campaign competing against the cream of international basketball in the Euroleague.